The East Texas Chapter of Texas Master Naturalist will begin its 2014 Training Class on Saturday, February 22, 2014. The East Texas Chapter serves a ten county area –Smith, Cherokee, Rusk, Gregg, Upshur, Wood, Rains, Van Zandt, Henderson, and Anderson counties. Texas Master Naturalist classes provide in-depth training in wildlife and natural resource management taught by recognized experts in the field and customized to focus on the native ecosystems of our East Texas area. Participants will also have the opportunity for advanced training in special subjects that interest them. Master Naturalists provide the community with volunteer service in the form of educational activities, projects, or demonstrations. The possibilities are endless, limited only by one’s imagination! Texas Master Naturalist, engage in helping people appreciate their natural environment while enhancing their own knowledge and skills. And, perhaps most satisfying of all, Texas Master Naturalists have a chance to build friendships and working relationships with others who share their love of the natural Texas.

The curriculum for the 2014 Training Classes will cover a range of topics including What is a Naturalist?, Poisonous Plants, Ecological Concepts, Weather, Geology, Forest Ecology & Tree Identification, Entomology (Insects), Archeology, Wetlands Ecology and Management, Mammals, and Birds. Classes will be held for seven weeks on Saturdays beginning February 22 through April 12 (excluding March 15). Classes will be conducted from 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the Nature Center located at 11941 FM 848, Tyler, Texas. Lunches will be provided. The fee for the training classes is $125.00. The deadline for application is February 1, 2014. For more information and to obtain an application form contact Brenda McWilliams at 903-533-9335 or bmc1105@gmail.com. Also, information is located on the East Texas Chapter Texas Master Naturalist webpage at www.txmn.org/etwd

The Texas Master Naturalist program is sponsored by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and Texas AgriLife Extension Service. The East Texas Chapter monthly meetings are held the fourth Thursday of each month at 6:45 p.m. at the Nature Center, 11941 FM 848, Tyler, TX. The public is invited to attend all meetings.